"It's About Patience and Practice"
Twelve months have past since I had reconstructive surgery on my right knee. It has been a year filled with triumph, tragedy, success, and failure, but above all it has been a year of growth. It has been a year that I have grown physically, mentally, and spiritually. One quote I have often been reminded of is "adversity introduces a man to himself." Now when I say adversity it would be easy to think of only monumental challenges or obstacles. But the truth--and what you probably don't want to hear--is that we are faced with adversity in some form every single day. Be it a party where there is pressure to do something that you may later regret, or be it a test that you haven't prepared for--adversity--remains the constant. And in that way, we are being further introduced to ourselves every single day.
As this introduction continues, and you begin to learn more about yourself a picture will begin to form. At this point you have two options: you can accept the picture or not. You can accept all of the negatives in your life and blame them for your failures (victim's mentality) or you can get rid of those negatives, raise your standards (Lion's mentality), and alter, or at more specifically hone, the picture for good. I can personally attest to the difficulty of the second option, but--as with most things--the sacrifice, commitment, and resolve it takes makes it worth it. Da Vinci, Michaelangelo, and every other great artist/sculptor didn't just create a work and have people marvel at it. The spectacles they created took years of revision and reworking--they spent countless hours perfecting the little things, and while they assuredly made many mistakes throughout its construction, their end results spoke for themselves. Take a lesson from the artists of our past. The construction of a successful you, and one that you will be proud of, will involve conscious thought as well. Don't let the allures of mediocrity and the "easy" choice fool you, for there is nothing easy about success--it's the exact reason why so few attain it.
Thanks for reading. JG
A Naval Academy Checklist
"Success Depends on Previous Preparation."--Confucius
I have officially received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. While I will surely write a post on what exactly that means to me in the near future--I would like to take the time to write out everything that I absolutely must complete prior to Induction Day--which is July 1 this year. This list will be fluid and many things will be added andhopefully everything will be crossed off by the end of June. Without further ado,
Skills That Need Development:
I have officially received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. While I will surely write a post on what exactly that means to me in the near future--I would like to take the time to write out everything that I absolutely must complete prior to Induction Day--which is July 1 this year. This list will be fluid and many things will be added and
Skills That Need Development:
- Develop Habit of Making Bed Each Day (The Correct Way) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMYZhdC-6jA
- Learn and Develop the skill of Ironing :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41eq7tIqVFw
- Swimming: 500 Yard Test
- Distance Running: http://www.physicalculturestore.com/default.asp
- PRT MAX: http://www.usna.org/handbook/prtstandards.html
- Memorization: Map of Naval Academy, Schedule, Reef Points, Mission Statement, The Administrative Chain of Command, The First Three General Orders of a Sentry (Note To Self Practice Memorizing Menus)
- Military Knowledge: SEE ABOVE
- The Correct Way to tie a Military Tie
Academic Advancement:
- The Core Topics Review: Geometry, Algebra, Pre-Calc Calculus, Chemistry, US Government, Naval History, Arabic
- Use Daily Calendar
MISC.:
- Passport Updated
- Letters
- Continue Reading and Writing
Helpful Links:
Back with this Blog Thing
Have you ever just sat down and felt like
time was flying by? I recently found myself in this exact situation. I
stopped writing blog posts one day and as I began to write my next post—this very one—it
felt like the next day, but in actuality it is 4 months later.
And it’s never too late to change your reality. Just look
at Abraham Lincoln: at age 28 he went to buy a bed but was too poor to afford
one. The store’s owner, Joshua Speed, offered him a bunk upstairs for free and
the two became great friends. But, seriously, think about that for a second—Abraham
Lincoln—who we know as the “Great Emancipator” was so broke at age 28 that he
had to share a bunk with another grown man for 4 years. If Lincoln, who
reasonably had every excuse to give up, was still able to march on and become
the President of the United States nineteen years later, then how is it too
late for you? What’s your excuse?
Don't get me wrong: you don’t have to turn out to be the next
Lincoln, because that’s not who you turn out to be. Ultimately, you turn out to be the next you.
So dial in, hit the pavement, and make it happen.
Thanks for reading. JG
And it’s never too late to change your reality. Just look at Abraham Lincoln: at age 28 he went to buy a bed but was too poor to afford one. The store’s owner, Joshua Speed, offered him a bunk upstairs for free and the two became great friends. But, seriously, think about that for a second—Abraham Lincoln—who we know as the “Great Emancipator” was so broke at age 28 that he had to share a bunk with another grown man for 4 years. If Lincoln, who reasonably had every excuse to give up, was still able to march on and become the President of the United States nineteen years later, then how is it too late for you? What’s your excuse?
Thanks for reading. JG
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